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Microsoft has released it latest operating system for PC, Windows 11. Should you be updating? Can you update? How does Mastercam run inside of this new OS? Lets look at a few of these questions.

Does Mastercam run inside of Windows 11?

Yes. Although not officially listed as an approved operating system on CNC Softwares website, it will run and seems to run fine. I went through several parts without issue. There are some aspects of the Mastecam interface which look different in Windows 11 but otherwise I couldn't see any issues.

I will say that the graphics do seem to look better. I can't really quantify what better is, but I suspect the new HDR functionality in Windows 11 to be at play here. 

Should you update to Windows 11 as a Mastercam user?

Today, I would say no. There are no drastic improvements that I can see right now. With all the unknowns of possible issues since this is not technically supported by CNC Software, I would hold off unless you are fine with being a 'beta tester' like myself.

How can you update to Windows 11?

You need to unsure your computer is compatible. Typically the main issue is the TPM requirement. This is a feature found only on newer CPUs. Issue being, you might have it but it may not be turned on and Windows cannot turn it on for you. When you do the upgrade check to see if your computer is compatible, Windows is looking for this feature to be turned on, not that you're just capable. You may have to google your CPU/Motherboard to find the instructions on how to do this.

We'll leave the Windows 11/Mastercam overview at this point until I can do some more testing with it. If I find any useful info I may post an update.